VANCOUVER - Western Allergy Services today introduced Pollenguard(TM) the first sublingual, or under the tongue, allergy drop available in Canada to treat common allergies. It is estimated that 30 to 35 per cent of Canadians suffer from seasonal allergies and asthma. The majority of people treat their symptoms with over-the-counter short term remedies, but only 5 percent pursue treatment that addresses the underlying cause of the allergy.

Pollenguard works by delivering a low dose of the allergen at frequent intervals, two to three times a day under the tongue to build up the body's tolerance over time. It is an ideal treatment for patients with an aversion to needles, like young children and those with busy schedules that can't make appointments for shots. Sublingual immunotherapy has been recognized as an efficient and effective treatment for allergies by the World Health Organization and has been used extensively in Europe for over 15 years.

"Patients regularly come to my practice seeking treatment for seasonal allergies and recently I have been using Pollenguard to treat their allergies," said Dr. Nigma Talib, naturopathic physician and clinical director at the West Vancouver Wellness Centre. "With a self-administered allergy drop, my patients appreciate that they don't have to be treated by needles and visit the office weekly. With the drops, I find that my patients are more willing to stick to this treatment plan which is efficient, effective and delivers relief from their symptoms without relying on daily antihistamines."

Pollenguard formulas are available for a number of common allergens including: cat, trees, grass, weed, ragweed, dustmite and in the following combinations: tree/grass and tree/grass/dustmite. Treatment can be pre-seasonal (one drop, two to three times daily for 30 to 60 days prior to allergy season) or perennial (one drop, two to three times daily year round) for long-term immunotherapy.

"At Western Allergy Services, we have been providing allergy treatments for over 35 years to allergists and medical experts and over time we have seen an increased interest from allergy sufferers in a self-administered treatment," said Dan Sharp, CEO of Western Allergy Services. "Pollenguard is a unique product that lets patients take control of their allergies and offers a long term solution."